274 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



welcome, as much may thus be contributed to fuluess and accu- 

 racy in the final treatment of this group for the " Synoptical Flora." 

 To the botanists, both professional and amateur, who have most kindly 

 assisted the author in his work upon the present paper, he would 

 express sincere appreciation and cordial thanks. To the following he 

 is especially indebted : Professors William Trelease and N. L. Britton, 

 Mr. J. H. Redfield, Mr. F. V. Coville, Dr. J. N. Rose, Mrs. T. S. 

 Braudegee, Miss M. E. Carter, Professor J. Macoun and Mr. J. M. 

 Macoun, Professors T. C. Porter, L. H. Pammel, W. W. Bailey, and 

 O. D. Allen, Messrs. William M. Canby, John Donnell Smith, Walter 

 Deane, Edward L. Rand, Theodor Holm, and J. F. Collins. In the 

 study of Sjjergularia an extensive series of Californian forms of that 

 difficult genus, contributed to the Gray Herbarium by Mrs. T. S. 

 Braudegee, has proved invaluable. In matters of synonymy and the 

 citation of literature Dr. Watson's Bibliographical Index has again 

 been a most useful guide. 



CARYOPHYLLACE^E, Tribe I. SILENE^E. Including gen- 

 era 1-7. (See Proc. Am. Acad, xxviii. 124.) 



Tribe II. ALSINEiE. Sepals free or slightly united at the 

 very base. Petals more or less contracted but not uuguiculate below. 

 Corona absent. Flowers mostly small. Styles distinct to the base. 



* Stipules none. 



h- Capsule cylindric, more or less elongated, often curved, dehiscent by twice 



as many teeth as there are carpels. 



8. Holosteum. Sepals 5. Petals 5, white, subentire or denticu- 

 late toward the apex. Stamens 3-5, very rarely 10. Styles 3 (occa- 

 sionally 4 or 5), longitudinally stigmatic. Pod unicellular. Seeds 

 numerous, dorsally flattened, i. e. parallel with the incumbent cotyle- 

 dons ; the radicle prominent upon the ventral surface. Inflorescence 

 umbelliform. 



9. Cerastium. Sepals in our species 5. Petals as many, retuse 



or bifid, very rarely subentire, white. Stamens 10, or sometimes 



fewer. Styles 5 (4 or 3). Capsule usually exceeding the calyx, often 



curved. Seeds numerous, more or less laterally compressed. 



-*- ■>- Capsule ovoid or oblong relatively short, dehiscent by as many or twice 

 as many teeth as there are carpels. 



-w. Styles usually fewer than the sepals, when of the same number opposite 



them. 



10. Stellaria. Sepals 5 (-4). Petals 5 (-4, rarely abortive or 

 absent), always more or less deeply bifid, often divided almost to the 

 base, white. Stamens 3-10. Styles 3-4, rarely 5. 



